Notre Dame de Paris is a short description of the cathedral. Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral (Notre Dame Cathedral) - a legend of Paris

Altar of North Dame with kneeling statues of Louis XIII and Louis XIV

Temples have been located in this place since time immemorial, even in the era of the Romans there was a temple dedicated to Jupiter. Later, the Merovingians, who ruled Gaul in the years 500-571, built the Cathedral of St. Etienne here.

Notre Dame Cathedral was founded in 1163 by Maurice de Sully, Bishop of Paris, and the cornerstone was laid by Pope Alexander III. Its construction lasted until 1345, that is, it took almost two centuries. During this time, the project was supervised by dozens of architects, which did not prevent them from erecting a beautiful and organic ensemble. According to historical data, earlier on the same place there were several more churches, both Christian and pagan.

The construction of Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral was carried out with the participation of many architects, but the main creators who made the greatest contribution are Pierre de Montreuil and Jean de Chelles. The building was laid during the reign of Louis VII. It was then that the Gothic style became popular in architecture, which was used by architects. This trend has successfully blended with the Romanesque style from the traditions of Normandy, which gave the cathedral a unique look.

The painting "The Coronation of Napoleon I" (December 2, 1804), painted by Jacques-Louis David in 1807

The history of France and Notre Dame cannot be separated, because it was here that the knights offered their prayers, setting off on the Crusades, the coronation of Napoleon, the celebration of the victory over the Nazi troops and many other events took place.

North Dame is shrouded in an atmosphere of mysticism and dark romance West facade of Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame Cathedral suffered greatly from inept reconstruction during the events of the late 18th century, and later due to popular oblivion. So, the French revolution almost deprived the world of this unique architectural monument, they even wanted to burn it. Many sculptures were smashed or beheaded, stained glass windows were destroyed, and precious utensils were looted. The building was declared the Temple of Mind, then - the center of the Cult of the Supreme Being, and later simply turned into a food warehouse. The architectural ensemble was protected from complete destruction by Victor Hugo's novel "Notre Dame Cathedral", which took the central place in the love story of a hunchback for a beautiful gypsy woman. The publication of the work not only made the writer famous, but also drew the attention of the general public to the exceptional historical as well as aesthetic value of the ancient building.

It is here that the "Zero Kilometer" is located - the starting point of all distances in France

It was decided to reconstruct Notre Dame in accordance with all the rules of ancient technologies. Viollet-le-Duca successfully coped with such a difficult task, since the architect had knowledge of the methods of construction of the ancient masters who worked on the construction of the temple. The restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral took more than a quarter of a century. During this time, the facades and interior decoration were restored, the sculpture gallery and part of the gargoyles destroyed by the revolutionaries were reconstructed, and all the remaining infernal "guards" were returned to their rightful place.

Additionally, a spire with a height of more than 95 meters was erected and installed on the roof. In subsequent years, the Parisians were extremely sensitive to their shrine. It is noteworthy that the temple was practically not damaged during the two World Wars. At the end of the 20th century, another restoration was initiated, which made it possible to completely cleanse the building of city dust, return the sandstone from which the facade is composed to its original golden hue.

View of Notre Dame Cathedral through the arch

Facade and gargoyles


The most popular attribute of the exterior decoration of Notre Dame Cathedral are stone demonic creatures. Gargoyles are present here in large numbers and are intended not only for decoration, but also to drain water from the numerous drains on the roof. The fact is that the unusually complex roof structure contributes to the accumulation of moisture due to precipitation, since it cannot drain as freely as from ordinary houses. This can lead to the development of mold, dampness and destruction of the stone, so high-quality gutters are essential for any Gothic cathedral.


Traditionally, the unattractive pipe exits were masked by the figures of gargoyles, chimeras, dragons, less often people or real animals. Many see hidden meanings in these demonic images, so there is a lot of room for imagination here. It is noteworthy that at the time of construction there were no stone demons at the cathedral; they were installed at the suggestion of the restorer Viollet-le-Duc, who used this medieval tradition.


Gargoyles of Notre Dame

The main facade is decorated with stone statues and has three portals. The main one is in the middle, its arches support seven statues on each side, and the main decor is the relief scenes of the Last Judgment. The right portal is dedicated to Saint Anne, where the Blessed Virgin with the Child is depicted, and the left - to the Mother of God, with the signs of the zodiac and the image of the coronation of the Virgin Mary. The huge doors are decorated with wrought iron reliefs.

The already mentioned spire on the roof replaced the one that was dismantled at the end of the 18th century. The structure is decorated with four groups of apostles, as well as animals corresponding to the evangelists. All the sculptures are facing the French capital, with the exception of the patron saint of architects, Saint Thomas, who seems to admire the spire.

Almost all stained glass windows are quite modern, made during the restoration of the temple in the 19th century. Only in the central wind rose some medieval parts have been preserved. The pattern of this large-scale construction (diameter 9.5 meters) of colored glass depicts Mary, as well as rural works, signs of the zodiac, human dignity and sins. The northern and southern facades are equipped with the largest roses in Europe. Each of them is about 13 meters in diameter.


Facade of Notre Dame, including 3 portals: the Virgin, the Last Judgment and Saint Anne, as well as the Gallery of the Kings from above

Interior of Notre Dame Cathedral

North rose of Notre Dame Cathedral

The structure in longitudinal section is a cross, in the center of which there is a complex of sculptural images of various Gospel scenes. It is interesting that the internal supporting walls are absent here, their function is performed by multifaceted columns. A large number of artistic carvings are flooded with unearthly light, which is painted in different colors, passing through the glass of several roses. On the right side of Notre Dame, tourists can admire the wonderful sculptures, paintings and other works of art that are traditionally presented as a gift to Our Lady every May 1st. The majestic central chandelier was made according to the sketches of Viollet-le-Duc, after reconstruction it replaced the chandelier, melted down during the French Revolution.

Notre Dame interior

Stained glass window Notre Dame. Due to the abundance of biblical scenes in the Middle Ages, the cathedral was called "the Bible for the unreadable"

Between the portal and the higher tier is the Gallery of the Kings, where sculptures of Old Testament rulers are exhibited. The original statues were mercilessly destroyed by the revolutionaries, so they were rebuilt. At the end of the 20th century, fragments of individual sculptures were found under one of the Parisian houses. It turned out that the owner bought them in Time of Troubles, to bury with honors, and later built his dwelling on this place.

It is impossible not to mention the majestic organ installed in Notre Dame Cathedral. It was equipped even during the construction of the temple, it was rebuilt and reconstructed many times. Today this organ is the largest in France in terms of the number of registers and the second in terms of the number of pipes, some of which have survived from the Middle Ages.


Organ in Notre Dame Cathedral

South bell tower

South Tower of Notre Dame Cathedral

If you want to enjoy Parisian panoramas that are not inferior in beauty to the view from the Eiffel Tower, you should definitely climb the South Tower of Notre Dame Cathedral. A spiral staircase of 387 steps leads here, climbing which, you will see the main bell of the cathedral, Emmanuel, and you can also see the gargoyles in the immediate vicinity. It is believed that they gaze so closely to the west because they expect the sun to set, after which they come to life every night.

Museum and treasury

There is a museum in the cathedral, where every visitor can learn about the history of the temple in all details, listen to many famous and little-known stories associated with this place. It houses various exhibits that directly relate to the centuries-old life of Notre Dame.

In the Treasury of the North Dame de Paris

From the shrine you can go to the underground Treasury, taken out under the square in front of the cathedral. It contains historical and religious relics: utensils, precious objects of art, and so on. But the most important exhibits are the Crown of Thorns of Christ, one of the nails with which Jesus was crucified, and a fragment of that very cross.

Gargoyle of Notre Dame

Order and cost of visiting


To get inside Notre Dame Cathedral, you will have to stand in a long queue. According to statistics, every day the Notre Dame threshold, depending on the season, crosses from 30 to 50 thousand people. The entrance to the cathedral itself is free, but each adult will have to pay 15 euros to climb the bell tower. Those under the age of 26 can enter for free. The cost of visiting the Treasury is 4 euros for adults, 2 € - for young people 12-26 years old, 1 € - for visitors 6-12 years old. Children under 6 years old can enter free of charge. In addition, on all Fridays of Great Lent, as well as on the first days of each month, the treasures are taken out for public viewing free of charge. Such exhibitions usually begin at about three o'clock in the afternoon.


Each visitor has the opportunity to use an audio guide in English, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese or Japanese. The cost of this service is 5 euros.

How to get there

The full address of the shrine is 6 place du Parvis Notre-Dame, Ile de la Cit, 75004 Paris. Within a five-minute walk there are metro stations "Chalette", "Isle of Cite" and "Hotel de Ville". Alternatively, you can take bus lines 21, 38, 47 or 85. Notre Dame Cathedral is open on weekdays from 8:00 to 18.45, on Saturdays and Sundays from 7:00 to 15:00. Services are held here every Saturday at 5.45 and also at 18.15.

Notre Dame Cathedral illuminated

Notre Dame Cathedral (Notre Dame de Paris): detailed information about Notre Dame Cathedral, architecture and history of Notre Dame de Paris, location on the map.

Notre-Dame de Paris

Notre Dame Cathedral or Notre Dame is the oldest and most famous cathedral in Paris, located in its most ancient part - the Ile de la Cité. This is a magnificent masterpiece of Gothic, immortalized by the genius Victor Hugo and turned into an iconic place of the capital of France, along with the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.

In addition to the magnificent building of the cathedral and its interior, there is an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of Paris from the height of the towers. To climb them, you need to overcome more than 350 steps. You can also see the archaeological crypt, which "tells" the history of the city from Gallo-Roman times to the 19th century.

History of Notre Dame de Paris

Already in the 3rd century, the first Christians appeared in ancient Paris. St. Dionysius, executed on the hill of Montmartre, and later became the patron saint of the city (the suburb of Paris Saint-Denis is also named after him). After Constantine approved Christianity as the official religion in the Roman Empire, in the 4th century on the site of a pagan temple, the first Christian cathedral on the island of Cité was built - the cathedral of St. Stefan. It is not known exactly what he looked like and his exact dimensions, but it is believed that it was a large five-aisled basilica, rebuilt in the 6-7 century.

Stone Cathedral of St. Stephen was able to stand the test of time, but in the 12th century, Louis VII and Bishop de Sully decided to build a new, more magnificent cathedral. In 1163, the first stone of the future Notre Dame was laid. Construction continued until 1250.

Throughout its history, before the Great French Revolution, Notre Dame Cathedral was rebuilt and renovated several times. The revolution caused terrible damage to the cathedral - the statues of the kings on the facade were destroyed, all the large sculptures were destroyed, the stained glass windows and portals were damaged. Notre Dame was in such a deplorable state that the possibility of its demolition was seriously discussed. Fortunately, thanks in large part to Victor Hugo and his legendary novel Notre Dame Cathedral, it was decided to restore the cathedral. In the middle of the 19th century, Notre Dame was reopened.


Architecture

The architectural style of the cathedral is Gothic. The western façade is divided into three parts vertically and horizontally.

The lower tier consists of three portals (entrances): the portal of St. Anna, portal of the Virgin Mary, portal of the Last Judgment. Each portal is decorated with bas-reliefs. Above the portals is the arcade of kings - 28 sculptures of Jewish kings damaged during the Revolution.

Above is the western rose - a figure of infinity and infinity, enclosed in a square. Built at the beginning of the 13th century and is one of the three roses of the cathedral and the oldest of them.

In the architecture of the cathedral, two bell towers stand out - North and South. At the same time, the South Tower (closest to the river) looks less massive.

On the south side, the facade of the cathedral is also decorated with a rose and a spire, around which there are 12 figures of the apostles.

The roof of the cathedral is lead. Made of thin overlapping lead plates. Roof weight is about 210 tons. Also in the upper part, the facade of Notre Dame Cathedral is decorated with figurines of gargoyles and chimeras. Interestingly, there were no chimeras in the Middle Ages. They were installed in the 19th century during restoration, as was the new lead roof.


Interior

The interior of Notre Dame does not boast whimsical murals. But this is the specificity of severe Gothic. The only source of light and color is the beautiful stained glass windows. The original stained glass windows of the 13th century have survived only on the cathedral roses. The remaining 110 stained glass windows have been restored.

In the center of the nave, there are sculptural compositions from the Gospel. In the right chapel of the cathedral there are donated paintings and sculptures. The cathedral chandelier is made of silvered bronze.

Notre Dame Cathedral houses one of the greatest Christian relics - the Crown of Thorns.


Opening hours and entrance

Notre Dame Cathedral is open daily from 8.00 to 18.45. On weekends until 19.45. Admission is free and free.

To climb the towers and admire the panorama of Paris from the height of the gargoyles, you need to pay 10 euros. Also paid entrance to the crypt.

Behavior rules

  1. Notre Dame Cathedral is a functioning cathedral, so you need to be calm, quiet and respectful here.
  2. Luggage is prohibited.
  3. Flash photography is prohibited.
  4. May not be allowed in short skirts and shorts.

How to get there?

–Line 4, Cité ou Saint-Michel
–Line 1, 11, Hôtel de Ville
–Line 10, Maubert-Mutualité ou Cluny - La Sorbonne
–Line 7, 11 , 14 Châtelet

–Line B, Saint-Michel - Notre-Dame
–Line, C, Saint-Michel - Notre-Dame

- Routes 21, 38, 47, 85, 96, Arrêt Cité - Palais de Justice
–Route 47, Balabus Arrêt Cité - Parvis de Notre-Dame
- Routes 24, 47 Arrêt Notre-Dame - Quai de Montebello
- Routes 24, 47 Arrêt Petit pont
–Lines 24, 27, Balabus Arrêt Pont Saint-Michel - Quai des Orfèvres
–Lines 24, 27, 96, Balabus Arrêt Saint-Michel
- Routes 21, 27, 38, 85, 96 Arrêt Saint-michel - Saint-Germain

Notre-Dame de Paris (fr. Notre-Dame de Paris) is a French-Canadian musical based on Victor Hugo's novel Notre Dame Cathedral. Musical composer - Riccardo Cocciante; libretto by Luc Plamondon. The musical debuted in Paris on September 16, 1998. The musical entered the Guinness Book of Records as having the most successful first year of work.

Bruno Peltier plays Gringoire in the musical Notre Dame de Paris

In the original version, the musical toured Belgium, France, Canada and Sweden. The same musical debuted at the French theater "Mogador" in 2000, but with some changes. These changes were followed by the Italian, Russian, Spanish and some other versions of the musical.

In the same year, a shortened American version of the musical was launched in Las Vegas and an English version in London. In the English version, almost all the roles were performed by the same artists as in the original.
Plot

Esmeralda the gypsy has been under the tutelage of the gypsy king Clopin since the death of her mother. After a gang of vagabonds and gypsies attempted to infiltrate Paris and take refuge in Notre Dame Cathedral, they are chased away by the royal soldiers. The Rifle Captain, Phoebus de Chateauper, takes an interest in Esmeralda. But he is already engaged to fourteen-year-old Fleur-de-Lys.

At the festival of jesters, the hunchbacked, crooked and lame bell-ringer of the Cathedral of Quasimodo comes to look at Esmeralda, with whom he is in love. For his ugliness, he is elected King of Fools. His stepfather and mentor, the archdeacon of Notre Dame Frollo, runs up to him. He rips off the crown from him and tells him not to even look in the direction of Esmeralda and accuses her of witchcraft. He shares with Quasimodo a plan to kidnap Esmeralda, with whom he is secretly in love. He wants to lock her in the tower of the Cathedral.

At night, the poet Gringoire wanders after Esmeralda, and witnesses an attempt to kidnap her. But a detachment of Phoebus was guarding nearby, and he protects the gypsy. Frollo manages to escape unnoticed - no one assumes that he also participated in this. Quasimodo is arrested. Phoebus makes Esmeralda a date at the Valley of Love tavern. Frollo hears all this.

Gringoire ends up in the Courtyard of Wonders - the abode of vagabonds, thieves, criminals and other similar people. Clopin decides to hang him due to the fact that he, not being a criminal, went there. He was to be hanged on the condition that none of the girls living there wanted to marry him. Esmeralda agrees to save him. He promised to make her his muse, but Esmeralda is absorbed in thoughts of Phoebe.

For an attempt to kidnap Esmeralda, Quasimodo was sentenced to the wheel. Frollo is watching this. When Quasimodo asks for a drink, Esmeralda gives him water. In gratitude, Quasimodo allows her to enter the Cathedral whenever she wants.

Frollo pursues Phoebus and enters the Valley of Love with him. Seeing Esmeralda in the same bed with Phoebus, he stabs him with Esmeralda's dagger, which she always carried with her, and runs away, leaving Phoebus to die. Esmeralda is accused of this crime. Phoebus recovers and returns to Fleur-de-Lys.

Frollo judges and tortures Esmeralda. He accuses her of witchcraft, prostitution and attempted murder of Phoebus. Esmeralda declares that she was not involved in this. She is sentenced to death by hanging.

An hour before the execution, Frollo descends into the dungeon of the La Sante prison, where Esmeralda is imprisoned. He sets a condition - he will let Esmeralda go if she makes love to him. Esmeralda refuses. Frollo tries to rape her.

Clopin and Quasimodo enter the dungeon. Clopin stuns the priest and frees his stepdaughter. Esmeralda is hiding in Notre Dame Cathedral. Residents of the "Yard of Miracles" come there to pick up Esmeralda. The royal soldiers under the command of Phoebus enter into battle with them. Clopin is killed. The vagabonds are driven out. Frollo gives Esmeralda to Phoebus and the executioner. Quasimodo searches for Esmeralda and finds Frollo instead. He confesses to him that he gave Esmeralda to the executioner because she refused him. Quasimodo kills Frollo and dies himself with Esmeralda's body in his arms.

History of creation

Work on the musical began in 1993, when Plamondon composed an approximate libretto for 30 songs and showed it to Cocciante, with whom he had previously worked and had previously written, among other things, the song "L'amour existe encore" for Celine Dion. The composer already had several melodies ready, which he suggested for the musical. They subsequently became hits like Belle, Danse mon Esmeralda and Le temps des cathГ © drales. The most famous song of the musical - "Belle" - was written first.

A concept album was released 8 months before the premiere - a disc with studio recordings of 16 main songs of the production. All the songs were performed by the artists of the musical, with the exception of Esmeralda's parts: Noa sang them in the studio, and Helen Segara in the musical. The stars of the Canadian stage were invited to the production - Daniel Lavoie, Bruno Peltier, Luc Merville, but the main role Quasimodo was given to the little-known Pierre Garan, although initially the composer wrote the parts of Quasimodo for himself. This role glorified Pierre, who took the pseudonym Garou for himself.

The premiere of the Russian version of the musical took place in Moscow on May 21, 2002. The production was produced by Katerina von Gechmen-Waldeck, Alexander Weinstein and Vladimir Tartakovsky. In 2008, the Korean version of the musical premiered.

Actors

Initial composition
Noah, then Helen Segara - Esmeralda
Daniel Lavoie - Frollo
Bruno Peltier - Gringoire
Garou - Quasimodo
Patrick Fiori - Phoebus de Chateauper
Luke Merville - Clopin
Julie Zenatti - Fleur-de-Lis

[edit]
London version
Tina Arena, Danny Minogue - Esmeralda
Daniel Lavoie - Frollo
Bruno Peltier - Gringoire
Garou, Ian Piri - Quasimodo
Steve Balsamo - Phoebus de Chateauper
Luke Merville, Karl Abram Ellis - Clopin
Natasha Saint-Pierre - Fleur-de-Lis

Mogador
Nadia Belle, Shirel, Maison, Anne - Esmeralda
Adrian Deville, Jerome Colle - Quasimodo
Michel Pascal, Jerome Colle - Frollo
Lauren Ban, Cyril Niccola - Gringoire
Lauren Ban, Richard Charette - Phoebus de Chateauper
Veronica Antico, Anne Maison, Claire Cappelli - Fleur-de-Lis
Roddy Julien, Eddie Soroman - Clopin

Russia
Svetlana Svetikova, Teona Dolnikova, Diana Savelyeva, Karina Hovsepyan - Esmeralda
Vyacheslav Petkun, Valery Yaremenko, Timur Vedernikov, Andrey Belyavsky, Petr Markin - Quasimodo
Alexander Marakulin, Alexander Golubev, Igor Balalaev, Victor Krivonos (participated only in studio recording and rehearsals; did not perform at any concert) - Frollo
Vladimir Dybsky, Alexander Postolenko, Pavel Kotov (participated only in studio recording and rehearsals; did not perform at any concert), Andrey Alexandrin - Gringoire
Anton Makarsky, Eduard Shulzhevsky, Alexey Sekirin, Maxim Novikov, Mohamed Abdel Fattah - Phoebus de Chateauper
Anastasia Stotskaya, Ekaterina Maslovskaya, Yulia Liseeva, Anna Pingina, Anna Nevskaya, Anna Guchenkova, Natalia Gromushkina, Anastasia Chevazhevskaya - Fleur-de-Lis
Sergey Li, Victor Burko, Victor Esin - Clopin

Italy
Lola Ponche, Rosalia Misseri, Ilaria Andreini, Leila Martinucci, Chiara di Bari - Esmeralda
Gio di Tonno, Luca Maggiore, Fabrizio Voguera, Giordano Gambodia - Quasimodo
Vittorio Matteucci, Fabrizio Voghera, Luca Velletri, Christian Gravina - Frollo
Matteo Setti (Italian), Roberto Synagogue, Aaron Borelli, Mattia Inverni, Gianluca Perdicaro - Gringoire
Graziano Galatone, Alberto Mangia Vinci, Aaron Borelli - Phoebus de Chateauper
Marco Gverzoni, Aurelio Fierro, Christian Mini - Clopin
Claudia D'Ottavi, Ilaria de Angelis, Chiara di Bari - Fleur de Lys

Spain
Thais Siurana - Esmeralda
Albert Martinez - Quasimodo
Enrique Sequero - Frollo
Daniel Angles - Gringoire
Lisadro - Phoebus de Chateauper
Paco Arroyo - Clopin
Elvira Prado - Fleur de Lis

The songs in this section will be written according to the sample:

Original title / Mogadorian title (interlinear translation of the title) - the official title in Russian

Note: in all versions of the musical, except for the original, the songs of the second act numbered 8 and 9; 10 and 11 were swapped.

Act one
Ouverture - Overture
Le Temps Des CathГ © drales (Cathedral Time) - Cathedral Time
Les Sans-Papiers (People without documents) - Tramps
Intervention de Frollo - Frollo's Intervention
BohГ © ​​mienne (Gypsy) - Daughter of the Gypsies
Esmeralda Tu Sais (Do you know, Esmeralda) - Esmeralda, understand
Ces Diamants-LГ (These diamonds) - My love
La FГЄte des Fous (Festival of Jesters) - Ball of Jesters
Le Pape des Fous (Daddy of Fools) - King of Fools
La SorciГЁre (Witch) - Witch
L'Enfant TrouvГ © (Found) - Found
Les Portes de Paris (Gate of Paris) - Paris
Tentative d'EnlГЁvement - Failed abduction
La Cour des Miracles - Courtyard of Miracles
Le Mot Phoebus (Word "Phoebus") - Name of Phoebus
Beau Comme Le Soleil (Beautiful as the sun) - The Sun of Life
DГ © chirГ © (Torn) - How can I be?
Anarkia - Anarchy
ГЂ Boire (Drink) - Water!
Belle - Belle
Ma Maison C'Est Ta Maison (My Home is Your Home) - My Notre Dame
Ave Maria PagЇen (pagan Ave Maria) - Ave Maria
Je Sens Ma Vie Qui Bascule / Si tu pouvais voir en moi (I feel like my life is going downhill / If you could look into me) - If she saw
Tu Vas Me DГ © truire (You will ruin me) - You are my death
L'Ombre (Shadow) - Shadow
Le Val d'Amour (Valley of Love) - Shelter of Love
La VoluptГ © (Enjoyment) - Date
FatalitГ © (Rock) - The Will of Fate

Second act
Florence (Florence) - Everything will come in its own time
Les Cloches (Bells) - Bells
OGNo Est-Elle? (Where is she?) - Where is she?
Les Oiseaux Qu'On Met En Cage (Caged Birds) - Poor Captive Birds
CondamnГ © s (Condemned) - Les Miserables
Le ProcГЁs (Court) - Court
La Torture - Torture
Phoebus (Phoebus) - Oh Phoebus!
ГЉtre PrГЄtre Et Aimer Une Femme (To be a priest and love a woman) - My fault
La Monture (Horse) (the word also has an allegorical meaning: "passionate mistress") - Swear to me
Je Reviens Vers Toi (I'm coming back to you) - If you can, I'm sorry
Visite de Frollo G Esmeralda (Frollo's visit to Esmeralda) - Frollo comes to Esmeralda
Un Matin Tu Dansais (One Morning You Danced) - Frollo's Confession
LibГ © rГ © s (Free) - Come out!
Lune - Moon
Je Te Laisse Un Sifflet (I give you a whistle) - If anything, call
Dieu Que Le Monde Est Injuste (God, how the world is unfair) - Good God, why?
Vivre (Live) - Live
L'Attaque De Notre-Dame (Attack on Notre Dame) - Assault on Notre Dame
DГ © portГ © s (Submitted) - Submit!
Mon Mag®tre Mon Sauveur (My master, my savior) - My proud master
Donnez-La Moi (Give it to me) - Give it to me!
Danse Mon Esmeralda (Dance, my Esmeralda) - Sing to me, Esmeralda
Le Temps Des CathГ © drales (Cathedral Time) - Cathedral Time

Interesting Facts
The famous song from this musical Belle in our country was also performed by the now disbanded group Smash !!. With her, they took first place at the festival " New wave"2002 in Jurmala.
The song "Belle" was on the 1st place in the French charts for 33 weeks and as a result was recognized in France as the best song of the fiftieth anniversary.
The Russian performer of the role of Esmeralda T. Dolnikova is the only performer of a musical in the world who has received a high award, the Golden Mask theater award.
In Russia, a special touring version of the musical, with simplified decorations, is currently touring the regions. Artistic director - Alexander Marakulin, performer of the role of Frollo.

As befits one of the oldest buildings in Paris, Notre Dame(Notre Dame de Paris from French. Notre Dame Cathedral) is located in the heart of the city, on. Earlier, in the III-IV centuries, an ancient Roman temple was located on this site, and later, when the Romans ended their reign, the first Christian church in Paris was erected here.

Construction began in 1163, but the most recognizable part of the structure, where the main entrance, consisting of three massive doors, like the two rectangular towers, began to be built only in 1200. The ball was fully built and finished by 1345. Despite the fact that Notre Dame was built over 180 years by many architects, the original design of the Gothic cathedral was respected. And today we can admire the amazing symmetry and harmony of the building, combined with severity, clarity and poise.

The facade is visually clearly divided into three parts, both horizontally, and vertically. On the first level horizontally, there are three portals with entrances to the temple: The last judgment(center), Saint Anne (right), Our Lady (left).
Pay attention, above the left portal you can notice a slight deviation from the general symmetry, at the top it is pumped in a triangle, and not an oval arch, as on two adjacent portals.

There is another symmetry violation on the third level, in the main towers. Cathedral of Notre Dame, namely the left is slightly wider than the right. Why this was done is now unknown, but such subtle deviations of symmetry undoubtedly add even more mystery and grandeur to this structure.
On the second horizontal level, there is the famous rose window, 10 meters in diameter, the stained glass of which is partly authentic, dating back to the Middle Ages. To the right and left of it are smaller arched windows that fit wonderfully into general style Cathedral of Notre Dame, successfully complementing and emphasizing its other elements. Under the windows there is a gallery of kings, 28 sculptures of the kings of the Jews, the ancestors of Christ.

I must say that during the French Revolution, Notre Dame came true
heavily plundered and desolate. By order of the Convention and Robespierre personally, illiterate rebels threw statues from the facade of the temple to the ground, bells and other church utensils were melted down, the altar was desecrated and plundered.

For many years, the Cathedral of Notre Dame stood dilapidated and dilapidated. Only after the release of the novel of the same name, written by Victor Hugo in 1831, interest in the building was reawakened among the people and the king issued a decree on the restoration of the temple.

The restoration of the temple lasted from 1841 to 1864. Have been re-created numerous sculptures and stained-glass windows, as well as new ones added. In the upper part of the building, at the ends of the beams, images of gargoyles (dragon-shaped snake) and many individual figures - chimeras appeared. These fantastic creatures were added to the appearance of the temple and now we can observe them on the platform near the foot of the towers. In those years, the main spire of Notre Dame Cathedral was also restored, dismantled in 1786 by order of Robespierre. Made of oak and covered with lead plates, the spire is 96 meters high and is surrounded by bronze figures at its base. Also, the temple was cleared of many annexes and now there is a spacious square in front of the main facade. It is from this square that all the roads of France originate, in confirmation of which a bronze plaque with the inscription "0 km" is installed here.

1. One of the greatest human creations - Notre Dame de Paris - stands on the banks of the Seine. This is definitely music frozen in stone. In other words, this work of art does not dare to name it.

2. Already in the fourth century AD, in the place where the cathedral now stands, there was a beautiful church of St. Stephen. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by the Normans who invaded France. In the sixth century, a church dedicated to the Mother of God was built nearby.

3. By the twelfth century, both churches were in such decline that the bishop of Paris decided to build a temple. This is how the history of the great temple began.

4. The construction of the temple lasted almost two centuries: from 1163, when King Louis VII and Pope Alexander III laid the foundation stone, until 1330.

5. According to the plan, the premises of the temple had to be so large as to accommodate all the inhabitants of Paris (and there were about ten thousand of them at that time). Now the population of Paris has grown exponentially, but Notre Dame de Paris is still ready to receive more than nine thousand people within its walls.

6. Located the most main temple France on the Ile de la Cité in the middle of the Seine. Due to the fact that the temple was built by several generations of architects, Romanesque and gothic styles.

7. Interestingly, there is not a single wall in the cathedral. The entire space is occupied by pillars connected by arches. There are stained-glass windows in the openings of the arches.

8. In the middle nave of the cathedral (it is the largest of the five), you can easily put a twelve-story building. The two central naves cross each other, resembling the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified.

9. Three pointed arches serve as entrances. Near them are statues of saints, prophets and angels. Also, the statues stand in the niches of the cornice. These are statues of biblical kings.

10. Much attention should be paid to the bell tower, which, at one time, served as a watchtower in Paris. From here it was possible to conduct excellent observation of the approaches to Paris and in time to warn the inhabitants of the city about the danger.

11. In the nineteenth century, the main property of Paris was reduced to such a decline that in 1841 the government had to accept special solution, four years after its adoption, restoration began.

12. Today Notre Dame de Paris is the main monument of Paris. It is located exactly in the center of the city and is of great historical value. Be sure to visit it, you will not regret it.

13. The cathedral houses one of the great Christian relics - the Crown of Thorns of Jesus Christ. Until 1063, the crown was on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, from where it was transported to the palace of the Byzantine emperors in Constantinople. Baldwin II de Courtenay, the last Emperor Latin Empire, was forced to lay the relic in Venice, but due to lack of funds, there was nothing to redeem it. In 1238, King Louis IX of France acquired the crown from the Byzantine emperor. On August 18, 1239, the king brought it to Notre Dame de Paris. In 1243-1248, at the royal palace on the Ile de la Cité, Sainte-Chapelle (Holy Chapel) was built to store the Crown of Thorns, which was here before the French Revolution. Later, the crown was transferred to the treasury of Notre Dame de Paris.

14. The cathedral is visited by 14 million people annually and is one of the most famous monuments in Europe.

15. In 2009, fans of Michael Jackson, who gathered on the porch of the cathedral, thought that the bell was ringing in honor of the death of their idol. In reality, the ringing of bells accompanied the procession to the Cathedral of Saint-Severen.

16. In the Middle Ages, Notre-Dame de Paris was the Bible for those unable to read - the entire history of Christianity, from the Fall to the Last Judgment, is clearly painted in numerous sculptures that adorn the building. And the creepy-bizarre chimeras and gargoyles, watching from the roof of the endless stream of parishioners, have collected an incredible number of legends and myths about the secret meaning of the symbolism of the mystical temple. Esotericists believe that the code of occult teachings is encrypted here. Victor Hugo called Notre Dame Cathedral "the most satisfactory concise guide to the occult." In the 17th century, researchers tried to decipher the secret of the Philosopher's Stone, which, according to legend, was encoded by medieval alchemists in its architecture.

17. Other legends tell of devilish participation in the construction of the temple. The blacksmith Biscorne was commissioned to forge the most beautiful figured gate for the Parisian cathedral. Unable to fulfill the order, the blacksmith called the devil for help. In the morning, when the minister of Notre Dame came to look at the sketches of the future gates, he found the blacksmith unconscious, and before him shone a masterpiece with openwork patterns of unprecedented beauty. The gates were installed, the locks were cut in, but then it turned out that they could not be opened! The castles gave in only after sprinkling with holy water. The Parisian historian Henri Sauval, who in 1724 investigated the origin of the patterns on the gates, which do not look like forged or cast, said: “Biscorne took this secret with him without revealing it, or fearing that the secret of making would be stolen or fearing exposure, because no one saw how he forged the gates of Notre Dame de Paris. "

18. Notre Dame Cathedral was built on the site of a pagan temple where the Romans worshiped Jupiter in the 1st century. Later, in 528, the Romanesque Church of Saint-Etienne was installed here. Finally, in 1163, the Bishop of Paris founded a new cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Notre Dame).
The legendary building was destined to witness many significant events in the history of France. Here the crusaders prayed before leaving for the holy wars, Philip IV convened the States General - the first parliament in 1302, Henry VI was crowned (the only ruler of England who bore the title "King of France") in 1422 and Mary Stuart was married to Francis II, and in 1804 year Napoleon put on the crown of the Emperor.
In the midst of the French Revolution, in which Paris was the epicenter, an outraged people rushed into the cathedral, which became a symbol of royal power, and in the heat beheaded 28 statues of Jewish kings. Many treasures were destroyed or plundered, only large bells escaped melting. The building survived by a fluke - after the destruction of the Abbey of Cluny, the revolutionaries ran out of explosives. So Notre Dame Cathedral was declared the Temple of Reason, and the premises were used as a food warehouse.

19. Only in the middle of the XIX century, after the release of the first novel by Victor Hugo "Notre Dame Cathedral", where in the preface he wrote: "One of my main goals is to inspire the nation with love for our architecture," began the restoration of the famous temple. All the broken statues were replaced, a high spire was added, and the roof was populated with demons and chimeras. In addition, houses near the cathedral were demolished to improve the view of the renovated building.

20. As for its 850th anniversary, the whole of France plans to celebrate a round date throughout the year. The program of events is extensive - these are services, concerts, exhibitions, festivals, scientific conferences. In addition, the French Post is planning to issue commemorative stamps dedicated to the anniversary. And the cathedral itself is going to renew its bells, which will be cast on old technologies, restore the organ and renew the interior lighting of the temple. Also, a special tourist route has been prepared for the round date, following which you can learn about little-known facts in the history of Notre Dame de Paris. After all, there are so many more secrets and legends associated with this place.

21. To commemorate the 850th anniversary of the cathedral (which will last almost a year - from December 12, 2012 to November 24, 2013), nine new bells have been cast for the cathedral ( total costs for the creation of new bells are estimated at 2 million euros), the organ was also reconstructed. A number of religious and cultural initiatives are timed to coincide with the anniversary, the preparation of which is being jointly carried out by the Parisian archdiocese and the authorities of the French capital; in January, the French post will issue two commemorative postage stamps. A special "pilgrim's route" will be created, following which you can get acquainted with little-known facts about the territory adjacent to the cathedral and the secrets of the courtyard.